City cathedral grounds hosts Christmas market
ACHRISTMAS Market in the grounds of Birmingham Cathedral opens this week over the graves of thousands of olf Brummies.
Sheds and kiosks were installed less than 24 hours after the Remembrance service on Colmore Row commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Armistice on Sunday.
Large areas of the cemetery have now been covered with flooring to protect the lawns.
Birmingham Cathedral’s chief executive Anna Pitt said: “I am delighted that the Christmas Market adds an additional dimension to the cathedral’s celebration of Advent and Christmas this year.
“The market this year offers us an opportunity to engage with many more of our neighbours, as well as reaching out to support charities and organisations in our local community.
“Cathedral Square is an iconic, exceptional and well-loved space in the heart of our city, and I am thrilled with the opportunity to share the benefits of that space with our neighbours.”
The market opens on Thursday at the same time as the German Market in nearby Victoria Square and New Street.
The market is being managed by Top Dog Events and the city council will be paid to ensure the grounds are kept free of litter. Alcohol will be on sale and there will be an area toilets.
The new market is the result of a joint approach between the city council and the cathedral, inspired by a similar market at Winchester Cathedral.
A spokesman for the cathedral said: “We wanted to bring Christmas outside this year and deliberately held off construction work until after Remembrance yesterday.
“Charities will benefit by having the chalets outside.
“It’s about testing the water to see if we can bring Christmas outside – families seem to want somewhere where they can take their children.
“The burial areas were taken into account.
“First and foremost we are a of public place of ground.
“We hope it’s a good thing for the city and we are trying to offer something different to the Frankfurt market.”
According to Birmingham Cathedral’s own website, there are thought to be around 60,000 burials in the churchyard.
The ground was closed to further burials in 1858.
There are still about 100 monuments left above ground.
Every year campaign group Justiceforthe21 holds a vigil next to the Birmingham Pub Bombings memorial in the St Philip’s square to remember the 21 victims of the 1974 atrocity.
But this year the group has moved its main service to outside New Street Station, where a worship and burial new memorial – a grove of three sculptured metal trees by local artist Anuradha Patel – will be unveiled at 8.17pm on the anniversary date.
A smaller service will be held at 9am on November 21 at the Cathedral memorial before the Christmas market opens at 10am.
But Julie Hambleton, who lost her sister Maxine in the Tavern in the Town bombing, was not concerned with the market’s proximity to the Birmingham Cathedral memorial.
“The staff have always been kind and courteous and very spiritual in their support,” she said. If we were holding our service at the memorial we might have had something to say.
“Next year we would hope they would leave a wider space for people who want to pay their respects.”
The market will be opened by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street at 4pm on Thursday, (November 15) and blessed by the Dean of Birmingham, the Very Rev Matt Thompson.
At 6pm, the Christmas lights will be switched on by 12-yearold Louis Johnson, Birmingham Children Hospital’s Fundraiser of the Year. He is best friends with five-year-old Ben Collins, who has terminal bone cancer.
The market will run until Saturday, December 22.
It will be open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm and from 1pm to 9pm on Sundays.